Claude Beelman

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Claude Beelman (b. 1883, Ohio - d. 1963, Los Angeles, California) was an American architect who designed many excellent examples of Beaux Arts, Art Deco and Streamline Moderne style buildings. Many of his buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Claude was married to Lourene Taft Beelman (b. 1883, Ohio - d. 1948, Ca.). In 1910, he was a draftsman in the state of Indiana. (Cite: U.S. Census Records, State of Indiana, 1910.) It was there they had a daughter, Helen Beelman (b. 1912). By the 1920's, the family had relocated to Los Angeles, and by 1930, they resided comfortably in beautiful Beverly Hills, California. Throughout the 1920's and moving forward, Beelman had the distinction of being charged with the design and execution of many prominent civic and private structures, building buildings for innumerous dignitaries, luminaries, and governmental entities, many of which have beautifully withstood many travails that would have rocked other buildings to their foundations: the great depression; multiple earthquakes of various magnitudes; corporate mergers, take overs and failures; and other pitfalls of the test of time - a true testimony to the integrity of Beelman's architectural prowess.

During his long and successful career Beelman belonged to several firms, many of which he was partner or owner: Curlett and Beelman (1920's), Allison and Allison and, towards the end of his life, Claude Beelman & Associates.

It was during the last years of his life when he was in his seventies, that the famous 12-story Superior Oil building was completed in 1955 for oil tycoon W.M. Keck, as designed by Beelman through Claude Beelman & Associates. The Superior Oil building was later turned into The Bank of California building, where it was used for that banking purpose for many years. By the late 90's, the building had been laying dormant for nearly ten years. The building has recently been renovated beginning in 2000 by new owner Andre Balazs, a successful hotel developer on an international scale, to become the beautiful landmark hotel, The Standard in downtown L.A.. Ironically, The Standard literally sets a whole new standard in architectural modernism moving forward into the new millennium. "The whole thing is so 'Jetsons'..." quipped Balazs to The Los Angeles Times, (article cited below).

It is Beelman's classic zig-zag moderne Eastern Columbia Building, however, replete with a skin of turquoise green terra cotta tile; a beautiful clock tower; art deco lighting, fixtures, signage and architectural detail that set Beelman's work above and beyond that of his competitors of his day. The Eastern Columbia Building is considered by many to truly be Beelman's life master work, and has recently been slated for restoration according to the L.A. Conservancy League. The Eastern Columbia is in the process of converting from office space to loft live/work spaces by the renowned Kor Group for the year 2007.

Some of the California landmark buildings he is famous for designing include:

Registered in The National Register of Historic Places:

816 South Grand Avenue
Culver Hotel
Eastern Columbia Building
Garfield Building
Spring Street Realty Building
Superior Oil Company Building
US Post Office, Hollywood, CA

Other Structures of Note:

9th & Broadway Building
Barker Brothers Building
Central Plaza Building
Elk's Lodge No. 99 / Park Plaza Hotel
Farmer's & Merchant Bank Office Towers - Long Beach
Harbor Building at Crenshaw
Irving Thalberg Building, MGM (Sony) Studios
L.A. Jewelry Center
Mary Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
May Company Garage - 1926 - one of the Nation's first parking structures
Mercury Building
Pacific South West Trust Building
Roosevelt Building
Rose Hill Housing Structure
Security Pacific Bank|Security Pacific National Bank
Norma Talmadge|The Talmadge Building